Tonight, I was browsing the Union
County, South Carolina Inventories, Appraisements, Sales, 1845-1853
microfilm that has been digitized and uploaded to FamilySearch.org by the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although I didn’t find what I was
looking for in researching more about the Danner slave-owners of that county, I
was awestruck by the meticulous way the estate of John Jeffries, Sr. was inventoried on October 31, 1851. The appraisers took the time to record the
enslaved people by family groups, names, and ages! As I browsed the names of
the enslaved families, I kept saying to myself, “These are many people’s enslaved
ancestors!” Rather than being buried and forgotten in that inventory, I
decided to give them visibility on my blog, in hopes that a descendant
researching for their Jeffries (or
another surname) ancestors will one day find them here. This will
undoubtedly be a genealogical goldmine!
I desired to see what I could find out about
John Jeffries, Sr. from my most immediate source – the Internet. Google can be your best friend,
informationally (is that a word?). According
to descendant and researcher Brenda Sparks, John Sr. was born on March 6, 1760
in Camden, South Carolina. Indeed, he is reported as being 90 years old in the
1850 Census of Union County. He died nearly a year later on January 29, 1851. John
Sr. was a soldier of the American Revolution (1775 - 1783). He served as a private
under his father, Captain Nathaniel Jefferies, South Carolina Troops. He
purchased land in Union County from his father and started a plantation that
became known as "Brick House."
Known as “Brick House John,” he lived there until his death at age 91. Also,
according to Sparks, some people had claimed that the bricks were purchased in
London and shipped to Charleston, South Carolina. Really?? Nevertheless, she
found documentation that proved that the bricks were made by John’s slaves.
The 1850 Census for Union County reported John’s
property value at $30,000. Also, the 1850 Union County Slave Schedule reported
137 slaves for him. Unfortunately, no names were recorded in the slave
schedules. However, the following images from his estate record revealed their
names in family groups, described as Lots. Hopefully, from the following images,
you can see their names.
The lots of enslaved families inherited by
his heirs were also reported:
John Jeffries, Sr. also wrote a will eight
days before his death, on January 21, 1851. The following will transcription
was uploaded by Brenda Sparks.
Know all men by these
presents that I, John Jefferies, of the State and District aforesaid, being
weak in body but of firm and disposing mind, memory, and judgement do ordain
and appoint this as and for my Last Will and Testament hereby declaring all
former wills to be null and void and of no effect.
Article 1: I will and
ordain that all my property both real and personal shall be equally divided
among all my legal heirs -- that is my sons John, James and William Jefferies
shall each receive one ninth part of my estate. My daughters Ann Smith, Sarah
Smith, Ellen Wilkins, and Cynthia Graham shall each receive one ninth part of
my estate and that the children of my son Nathaniel Jefferies, deceased, shall
receive one ninth part of my estate to be equally divided between them also
that the children of my son Samuel Jefferies shall receive one ninth of my
estate to be equally divided among them and also that the Lucey and Frances
Farr daughters of Ellen Goudelock, decd., shall receive the share to which
their mother would have been entitled had she been living to be equally divided
between them.
Article 2nd: I will
and ordain that five competent persons or a majority of them shall proceed
appraise and divide all my Negroes among my Legatees herein before mentioned as
equally as may be and if in their judgement the chair allotted to the heirs of
Nathaniel Jefferies and Samuel Jefferies, decd., cannot be divided without
injury to the parties there and in that case my Executors are hereby empowered
to expose the same to public sale for the benefit of said heirs.
Article 3rd: I will
and ordain that the above mentioned appraisers shall appraise all my land
contained in a recent survey by John Gibbs, Esq. and if in their judgement, it
cannot be equally divided among my heirs, herein before mentioned, they shall
divide it into suitable tracts and my executor shall sell the same for the
benefit of all Legatees aforesaid.
Article 4th: I will
and ordain the Executers shall expose to sale all stock of all kinds,
plantation tools, wagons, carts and all other effects of which I may be
possessed with the exception of my notes, bonds, credits and accounts which
they are to collect for the benefit of my heirs aforesaid.
Article 5th: Whereas I
have heretofore made considerable advance of property to my children and have
taken receipts for the same, I will and ordain that each one shall account to
my estate for the value of said receipt without interest in receiving his part
of my estate as it is my will that each Legatee as before named shall
ultimately receive an equal portion of my estate.
Article 6th: And I
hereby appoint my sons, James Jefferies and William Jefferies and my grandsons
John Jefferies and William Jefferies sole executors of this my last will and
testament.
Given under hand and
seal this 21 January 1851. John Jefferies L. S.
Wit: James Farr, M.M.
Montgomery, H. Goudelock, Jas. B. Smith, Zachariah Tate
John Jeffries, Sr. had married Rachel Barnett
in 1782, and they had the following nine children. The places of death of the
children may give a researcher indication where some of the enslaved "Brick House" families
were probably taken after 1851. Interestingly, I am aware of a number of Jeffries
families of Tate and Marshall County, Mississippi! Some of them lived near my
ancestors in Tate County, which is adjacent to Marshall County. Hmmm....
Their nine children were:
(1)
Nathaniel Jeffries, b. 1783, Union County, SC; d. February 28, 1842, Union
County, SC
(2)
Ann Jeffries, b. 1785, Union County, SC; d. February 13, 1874, Union County, SC
(3)
Samuel Jeffries, b. 1788, Union County, SC; d. December 08, 1845, Union County,
SC
(4)
Sarah Jeffries, b. 1790, Union County, SC; d. December 20, 1873, York County,
SC
(5)
John Barnett Jeffries, II, b. 1793, Union County, SC; d. September 08, 1869, Elmore Co., Alabama
(6)
Ellen Jeffries, b. 1795, Union County, SC; d. November 16, 1854, Marshall Co.,
Mississippi
(7)
Cynthia Jeffries, b. 1798; d. 1881.
(8)
Colonel James Boyd Jeffries, b. 1802, Union County, SC; d. April 29, 1866,
Union County, SC
(9)
William Barnett Jeffries, b. 1805, Union County, SC; d. August 05, 1852, Marshall Co.,
Mississippi
If you read this post and are aware of
someone researching for their enslaved Jeffries ancestors from Union County
South Carolina, Marshall County Mississippi, or Elmore County Alabama, feel
free to share this blog post.
